Anti-fox hunting campaigners are calling for a traditional Boxing Day meet to be banned from gathering in public.

Animal activists are targetting the East Kent with West Street Hunt, which assembles annually in Elham village square.

The event is a tradition going back almost 100 years, but last year hunt members were forced to gather at its private kennels following confrontations in the square in 2017.

Now a 8,000-signature online petition has been sent to Folkestone and Hythe District Council and Kent Police, urging the authorities to ban the festive gathering.

Several councils across the country have already acted to ban hunt meets on public land, including in Tetbury in Gloucestershire and Newark in Nottinghamshire.

Grant Tillman, of the East Kent Hunt Saboteurs, says hunt protestors have been met with aggression and councils need to act because of the wider health and safety issue on public land.

“Towns and villages are tainted by this spectacle and it’s about time councils said enough is enough.” he said.

“There is also the issue of dog and horse faeces, parking problems, the risk of injury to spectators,policing costs and the public being inconvenienced by the High Street shut off to traffic for hours.”

Since the introduction of The Hunting Act in 2004, hunting wild animals with dogs has been outlawed. Hunts now hold ‘drag’ hunts, where an artificial scent is laid for hounds to follow.

East Kent with West Kent hunt spokesman Nick Onslow says any ban would have an effect on the trade of local businesses in the village.

“The vast majority of those signing this petition, which is headed by misinformation, have never been to a Boxing Day meet and know nothing of hunting under the Act.

“If it achieves its goal, the many hundreds who turn out to enjoy the spectacle would be inconvenienced and pubs and other local businesses would lose significant trade.”

Mr Onslow says a decision on whether the hunt would return to Elham village square on Boxing Day had not yet been taken by masters.

A spokesman for the council says hunt organisers will need to make an events application to the authority if they wish to return to gather in the square and any objections will be taken into consideration.

Assistant Chief Constable Claire Nix from Kent Police added: “The safety of an event is a matter for the organiser, although Kent Police will provide a presence if necessary to prevent crime and disorder or to respond as a contingency.”

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